A life after the games
by HPandTHGfan
Summary: As Johanna looks to move on with her life she faces new challenges, ones completely out if her comfort zone. She may even have found a new family.
1. Chapter 1: Moving on

Johanna spent months in District 7 after the rebellion, saying goodbye to everything that reminded her of those she loved and lost. One day she went to the train station and got on a train, knowing not where it would take her. She knew she would never return to the district, it was a place of pain for her. She spent months travelling Panem, seeing the districts, she loved the freedom. One day the train stopped in District 12 and she knew that it was the right time to visit those people who had gotten her through some of her darkest days.

It was a long walk to the victors village but she needed the time to think of how she could tell them all she needed. As she drew nearer several times she nearly turned around, the apprehension grew but as soon as she saw the long braid down her back she knew she was doing the right thing. Her pace quickened and she started running. She didn't know what had come over her, she never behaved this way. Then she thought back to those times in District 13 when Katniss had gotten her immunity from any trouble she might get into, and to how she had shared a room with her, to get her out of that stupid hospital. She hadn't realised it at the time but Katniss was there a lot and always said the right thing.

She stopped outside the door to her house, took a deep breath and knocked. The door opened to a frazzled looking girl 'Johanna?' She whispered, obviously shocked.

'Obviously you idiot, so are you going to make me stand out here in the snow, I'm freezing my nipples off!'

A smile spread across her lips, 'Of course, come on in.' She said as he ushered Johanna into her lounge. Katniss turned round and looked at her, a broad smile spreading across her face. And she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, then broke away quickly. 'Erm sorry,' She stammered 'I know you don't like physical affection'

'Oh come here!' Johanna sighed as she pulled Katniss back into a tight embrace.

'Katniss, I needed to tell you thank you so much for everything, for being there when I had no-one else. I didn't realise how much you were there and I needed you until you were gone, you and Peeta, and Annie, are the only family I have left...' She trailed off.

'Oh Johanna!' She cried, 'You are part of our family too! Wait till Peeta gets here, he is going to be so happy to see you.'

'I can't wait to see him too! Where is he?'

'He is just bringing the last of his stuff across to mine, we have decided to move in together officially, I suppose I better explain'

'Right from the first games we would share nights together, I found myself waking up screaming from the nightmares and he was the only one who could calm me. He was the only one who stayed with me, after all we went through together he is the only one who I wanted there beside me. After the rebellion I was so alone for a long time, I had no-one to turn to, my mother and Gale kept away, Haymitch turned straight back to the bottle and Peeta was kept back in the Capitol, eventually he was allowed back. We both had nightmares and after a few nights of falling asleep on the sofa together and realising that was the best sleep either of us got we started to spend nights together, nothing romantic mind you, and we both got more and more comfortable with each other. In the end he ended up spending all day and night here and just going home to change. So last month I asked him to move in permanently. I love him you know, I suppose I have for a long time I was just too blind to see it. Oh, here he is now'

With that the front door and Katniss jumped up and ran to greet him. Johanna however, was a little more hesitant, she stood in the doorway to the lounge.

'Peeta, we have a surprise guest, she is one of our friends. Remember, she was with you in the Capitol, she helped you through the dark days'

Peeta looked deeply at Johanna with a small hint of recognition on his lips, then his eyes glazed over and he seemed to be somewhere else entirely. He grabbed a chair back and gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Then he stood up and looked at Johanna and took a step towards her.

'You where in the cell next to me in the capitol, real or not real?' He said, barely audible.

'Real' she said, letting out the breath that she didn't realise she had been holding.

'Johanna' he smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace then picked her up and spun her around and around. She giggled and it shocked her, it had been many years since she had heard that and she realised how much she missed it!

After a few moments of twirling and spinning he put her down and she nearly fell over, which caused another round of giggling. Eventually she calmed down enough to squeeze out the words 'I have missed you'

They spent the entire evening catching up on everything that had happened since they had last seen each other. As the evening drew in Johanna stood up. 'Peeta, do you mind if I use your old place tonight?'

'I don't mind at all but why not stay here in our place with us?'

'I think you and I would both prefer our space tonight' she said and winked at both of them as she left.

Johanna had no idea if she was going to stay in District 12, she liked this district, it had a real sense of community. But she knew it couldn't last for ever. Days turned into weeks, and soon she had been there almost two months. One day she sat down to dinner with Peeta and Katniss she told them she was leaving in a weeks time. Eventually the day came and after many teary goodbyes she boarded the train and continued her adventure, knowing not where she would end up next.


	2. Chapter 2: Where now?

It had been a week since she had left Katniss, Peeta and District 12, and she still had no idea where she was going, she couldn't spend her life travelling. Not travelling, running. She thought of each district in turn.

It wouldn't be 12, she knew that when she was there, it was a lovely district, one of her favourites actually, but she couldn't stay there indefinitely, it was still smothered with the scent of oppression, and that scared her!

District 1 was nice enough but it had no appeal to her, she wasn't the sort of person who could make loads of friends and she couldn't see her having anything to offer the particular district in the way of talent. The same could also be said about 11, 5, 8, 6, 9 and 10.

That left only 7 other places. She quickly dismissed the capitol as it held to much bad blood and was the root cause of all her pain, she would never be able to see past that.

District 13 was also not an option. The lack of air, underground. Even thinking about it brought back a longing for morphling. She closed her eyes and took 3 deep breaths, she had been off the stuff for almost a year but yet regularly had the urge to take some more. She knew these needs would probably always be there. She had become a cold blooded killer, and she could not change that, but it still haunted her.

She opened her eyes and thought of another district. District 2, hadn't that been where Katniss' other boyfriend had moved to. He was always nice to her, she could even help with the rebuild there. And yet, it didn't feel right, there she would still be an outsider. No, District 2 was not the place for her.

District 3, that was where Beetee was from and although he was geeky and weird he was still nice. And one of the few people who knew what she had been through, he too had been through the games twice! And yet, she was hardly an asset to the technology, I mean she wasn't stupid, not by any means, but nor was she clever, definitely not in a technological way!

She couldn't go back to district 7, her home district. Too much pain was there, the memories, the love. There was nothing there for her now. Snow had made sure of that.

Finally, her thoughts drifted to District 4. Finnicks old home. She smiled a little as a single tear escaped and ran down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away. That seemed better, she could see her life there, she knew how to swim, and there was never a shortage of someone who knew how to work wood, fixing boats and all that. Plus, she had always wanted to see the sea, and Finnick had spoken so fondly of his District that she felt as if she knew it already. With that settled she closed her eyes with thoughts of the sea and the fish in her mind and a smile on her lips.


	3. Chapter 3: A lost life

Johanna awoke to the smell of salt in the air, they must have arrived in District 4 whist she slept. Quickly she pulled herself together and gathered her things. She resisted the urge to rush to the window, she didn't want her first view of the sea to be through the window of a moving train. She stood at the door as it pulled into the station and eagerly stepped out.

She didn't have many possessions with her, years ago she had thrown away most of her stuff, all the things associated with.. Them. She had only kept a few small items that she couldn't have parted with.

A locket with a picture of her mother inside, it hadn't been opened since before her first games. Automatically her hand lifted and she felt it hanging there, above her heart underneath her tunic.

Then there was the letter she had from her brother, it was the only thing that she had received from him since they beat him and dragged him away to become an avox. She got to see him often, though she wished she wouldn't. Every year she would make a trip to the capitol to mentor the next group of unfortunate youngsters, and every year the same avox would serve her, her poor brother. She had learnt not to speak to him, that just earned him a beating. Eventually she could barely look at him, and the capitol knew it, it was their way of torturing her, taking everything she loved just out of her reach.

Finally she thought of the amber stone tucked in a fold of soft linen. She thought back to the day she had received it. She had received a note asking her to meet someone in the woods, she had no idea who had sent it but she had every intention of finding out. Standing there she looked nervously around her until she heard the soft crunch of leaves coming down the path. Nervously she awaited her mystery guests arrival, not daring to look until she was sure it was whoever they were. Slowly she tuned and saw him stood there, the most perfect boy in District 7, with tussled brown hair and the brightest green eyes and he smiled at her, and that smile brightened even the darkest of days. They spent the day together, talking, laughing and running around in the trees. Eventually they found themselves in a clearing and laid down next to each other, their heads together and their hand linked with each others. His other hand was moving through the grass looking at the pebbles. One he picked up was quite different to all the others. It was a transparent sort of golden brown. He picked it up and twirled it around in his fingers, the sunlight danced off of it. 'Amber' she whispered, recalling the name of the gem her mother had told her about 'it is fossilised tree sap, really rare, you could sell it for quite a lot, feed your family for a month' she told him. He looked at it and placed it in her hand, closing her fist around it 'a precious gem for a precious girl' he whispered.

Johanna's mind slipped back into reality. She heard the surge of electricity and the train continued on its never ending journey. She watched it leave, the place she had called home for the past few months. She knew she was moving on to the next phase of her life.


	4. Chapter 4: A fresh start

As she stepped out of the station she felt like she had just landed on a completely different planet. The houses were made out of a sandy clay and painted blue, many had shells set into the area above the door. And the roofs were made out of a sea green slate. She knew this was the upper end of the district, not what the majority of the district lived in but it still took her breath away, how beautiful it was. She progressed through the square to where she know the victors village would be. It was the same in every district, no matter how large or small, rich or poor the district was, there was still the same overall layout. She gasped as she stepped out into it. The area was not as abandoned as she had known it in many other districts, it was alive and buzzing. Of course, District 4 used to be a career district so had more victors but she didn't expect it to be this busy. Although this place was alive with killers it was the place where she felt most safe, most at home, they all knew what it had been like for her. The nightmares that still haunted her.

She collected her thoughts and focused on finding the one person she had come to see, but kept getting stopped by other older victors that she knew during her time as a mentor. She smiled and as politely as she could, told them she would catch up with them later. She then saw what looked like the house she was looking for. At the edge of the village sat a house identical to the others, but this one looked quieter, and she knew this would be where she found Annie.

She made her away across the complex towards the secluded house. She slowed her pace, how could she hold it together, this was the hardest place of all to come too. She took a deep breath and knocked.

She heard a child squeal and then footsteps. The door slowly opened a crack and she saw Annie's timid face peer out the side. When she saw Johanna stood there recollection spread across her face. Without a word she opened the door and Johanna walked in, through to the lounge.

On the rug by the fireplace sat a child no older than 2 with bronze hair and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. 'Auntie Jojo' he exclaimed and ran over with his arms wide. Johanna paused for a moment shocked, then scooped him up into her arms. She looked at Annie quizzically. 'I wanted him to know the only family he has' she spoke at long last 'you and the other victors from District 13 are the only family I have ever known really'. Johanna noticed that any madness that may once have dwelled in her eyes had disappeared.

'Annie,' she smiled 'I'm always going to be there for you. In fact, if you will have me, I would love to make District 4 my home. I'm tired of constantly running, and I have so many friends here'

The biggest smile she had smiled since her son started talking took over Annie's face. It was a smile of relief, that she would no longer be alone raising her child.

Johanna noticed the boy squirming in her arms and set him down on the floor. 'Go ask Mummy if you can come show me around the District' the boy looked up hopefully at his mother. 'Go get your shoes and jacket and we will head out' she chuckled as he ran off. 'I suppose I better change as well, it's been a long time I been out of this house for social reasons. It will give the neighbours something to gossip about'


End file.
